diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c b/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
index b237ff18b39eb0fecb4e69a4de30adaf011ff88d..ec55d63cf20e5bde890640ee28b44cb29c99ca46 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-eh.c
@@ -2437,7 +2437,7 @@ static int ata_eh_handle_dev_fail(struct ata_device *dev, int err)
 		/* give it just one more chance */
 		ehc->tries[dev->devno] = min(ehc->tries[dev->devno], 1);
 	case -EIO:
-		if (ehc->tries[dev->devno] == 1) {
+		if (ehc->tries[dev->devno] == 1 && dev->pio_mode > XFER_PIO_0) {
 			/* This is the last chance, better to slow
 			 * down than lose it.
 			 */